1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for cutting a travelling web of paper being wound on one spool and transferring the web to an empty spool while the web is travelling.
2. Prior Art
It is a general practice in the paper industry to produce a continuous sheet or web of paper which is wound onto spools.
In order to have a continuous operation it is, of course, necessary to have a system for instantaneously switching from winding the web of paper onto a full roll to an empty spool, particularly at modern speeds of paper production. In the prior art there are methods of feeding a tape onto the rotating empty spool core and causing it to be spirally wrapped on that spool core as it stretches tight across the travelling web of paper and cuts the paper, with the cut edge being led onto the empty spool supported by the cutting tape. Subsequent improvements have dealt with methods of stringing the tape for cutting and feeding, and the use of various types of tapes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,258 described a tape made of repulpable paper woven into a tape. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,659,029 and 4,783,018 for other tapes and improvements in turn up systems. Improvements are still needed however, to deal with the issues of thermal breakdown of the adhesive used on the cutting tape as well as the need to provide a cutting tape in very dusty environments such as tissue mills where the dust can eliminate the ability to use an exposed adhesive. None of the means or methods of the prior art provides the needed mechanical device and method to overcome the limitations of the prior art.